title: [Prevalence of fecal incontinence in health centers and nursing home residents].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fecal and urinary incontinence (FI and UI) are psychologically and socially debilitating and embarrassing conditions.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of FI and associated factors in patients assessed in health centers (HC) and nursing home (NH) residents.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, multicentric survey carried out in 3 HC and 16 NH of Santiago. Patients and residents of NH were interrogated about FI between March and July 2004.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The questionnaire was answered by 618 patients attending health centers aged 18 to 87 years (75% females) and 128 nursing home residents aged 40 to 103 years (80% females). The prevalence of liquid or solid FI in HC and NH was 2.7 and 45%, respectively. Among the latter, the incontinence for liquids and solids was 19% and 42%, respectively. The prevalence of UI was 30.1 and 62.7% in HC patients and NH residents, respectively. Among patients attending HC, multivariable analysis showed a relation between older age and urinary incontinence with liquid or solid FI. Among NH residents, multivariate analysis showed a relation between urinary incontinence and motor disabilities with liquid or solid FI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of liquid or solid FI among patients assessed in health center is 2.7%. This figure increases in older people, those with UI and in NH residents.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Formación como especialista en Cirugía General, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.
authors.forename: Alejandro J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Zárate
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: López-Köstner
authors.forename: Flavia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vergara
authors.forename: Nathalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Badilla
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Viviani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005242:Fecal Incontinence / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult